U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/216,521, filed May 18, 2009, is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
A variety of materials are carried in carts, or wagons, herein collectively referred to generally by the term cart. As a non-limiting example, are agricultural crop materials, such as silage, crop residue such as cobs from corn, and the like, and animal waste or manure. Of particular interest presently are corn cobs and other crop residue, for which demand has recently increased, due to use in making ethanol. The generation of corn cobs in volume occurs during the corn harvesting process, which is typically done using a combine, generally by threshing and cleaning the kernels of corn from the cobs, husks and other residue or stover.
The corn kernels are typically collected, at least initially, in a clean grain tank of the combine, which is periodically unloaded, often on the go, during the harvesting operation. If the cobs (and/or other residue) is/are collected, a separate container is typically used, and is often a cart or wagon towed by the combine. Due to limitations on the towing capacity of combines, the size or capacity of such carts or wagons is limited, and thus the cart or wagon must also be unloaded from time to time, often at different times or frequency than the unloading of the corn, which can have a negative effect on productivity and efficiency. Also, during some harvesting operations, it is sometimes desired or necessary to unload the cobs onto a surface such as the ground for later pick up, and in other instances, into another container, such as a larger cart, a truck or the like, often while on the go. And in both instances, it is often desired to unload relatively quickly.
Common known unloading systems for carts include unloading or drag chains and augers in the bottom of the cart, alone or in combination with gravity systems. Tipping gravity systems are also known. However, none of the known cart unloading systems provide a dual capability, that is, two different manners of unloading, one better suited for unloading in a pile on the ground, and another more suited for unloading into another container.
Thus, what is sought is a bulk materials cart providing dual unloading capabilities, particularly for corn cobs, including one for rapidly unloading onto the ground or another surface, and one for unloading into another container, including on the go, if desired or required.